eternal glory
by breakages
Summary: When Roxanne's name comes out of the Triwizard cup, her family can't even bear to look at her. Faced with three tasks that could very well kill her, watching another girl be Gryffindor Chaser, and a dozen people giving her the silent treatment, Seventh Year might just be her worst—and last.


There are people who are born heroes and there are those who become heroes.

"Eternal glory. That is what awaits the student who wins the Triwizard tournament. But to do this that student must survive three tasks. Three extremely dangerous tasks."

There is Roxanne, with a father who spends all his time in front of a mirror and a dozen cousins far more important than she.

But it isn't Dominique's name that comes out of the Triwizard cup, or Albus's, or Rose's. It's Roxanne's.

Her family stares her down in betrayal. Lily's eyebrows disappearing in her ginger bangs, Hugo shaking his head in disbelief, Rose with her mouth wide open.

"Roxanne Weasley!" Professor Bones calls out a second time.

She walks down the Great Hall, chest out, chin up, smile on. She takes the piece of burnt parchment and shakes the headmistresses's hand, all without looking at any of her family in the eye.

Maybe if she had told them that she snuck in when no one was looking and entered, she wouldn't be so hated right now.

She walks into the trophy room, giving a tight smile to the other two champions. Clemence Leroux looked as if she could rip out your throat with her teeth, all while singing a lullaby to a baby. Roxanne did not fail to notice how pretty she was.

The Durmstrang champion, Aleksandar Poliakoff gave her a half-smile, not failing to show off his pearly whites. He seemed more friendly than Clemence, but Roxanne knew, this was not just a game to them.

It had been centuries since Beauxbatons or Durmstrang had won, and since the revival of the Triwizard Tournament in 1994, the three schools had been at each other's throats.

"Congratulations, champions!" Professor Bones exclaimed, giving Roxanne a subtle wink. "Well done. Now, Mr. Weasley, if you will."

Roxanne turned to see her uncle Percy enter the trophy room, adjusting his wide spectacles. He made no movement to Roxanne, and didn't meet her eyes.

"The first task is designed to test your daring." he told Roxanne, Clemence and Aleksandar, "so we are not going to tell you what it is. Courage in the face of the unknown is an important quality in a wizard...very important, yes."

Clemence looked at her headmistress and smiled. Roxanne's stomach dropped.

"The first task will take place on November the twenty-third, in front of the other students and the panel of judges. The champions are not permitted to ask for or accept help of any kind from their teachers to complete the tasks in the tournament. The champions will face the first challenge armed only with their wands. They will recieve information about the second task when the first is over. Owing to the demanding and time-consuming nature of the tournament, the champions are exempted from end-of-year tests."

Percy turned to Professor Bones. "I think that's all, yes?"

Professor Bones smiled. "Thank you, Mr. Weasley. Now, champions, off to bed. You have a month to prepare. Good luck to all of you."

The people from the Ministry made their way upstairs back to the Great Hall.

"Uncle Percy!" Roxanne called, chasing after him.

He turned only when Kingsley Shacklebolt stopped in front of him to congratulate her.

With a sigh, Percy turned and plastered a smile. "Roxanne, congratulations. I've informed George and Angelina already, they must be so proud."

"Thank you, Uncle, I was just wondering if-"

"I really must be on my way. There will be time to talk later," he said firmly. "The Ministry calls. See you at the First Task!"

And they left, leaving Roxanne alone in the trophy room, the gold catching her eye.

_Eternal glory,_ she thought._ It's mine. _

* * *

She makes her way into the Gryffindor common room as discreetly as she could. No luck, however, because everyone is huddled around the couches instead of in bed.

"Look, it's her!" Thomas Wood cheers, picking her up and spinning her around in a circle, causing a roar from the students. "We'll miss having you on the team, Weasley. We expect you'll be too busy for Quidditch."

She shrugs sheepishly. "Maybe, but at least I don't have to do year-end tests."

Grinning, she finds her way towards her family next to the crackling fire.

"Hi, guys," she smiles.

"Congratulations, Roxie," Lily grins, throwing her arms around her.

"Thanks," Roxanne replies, looking around the fire. Nobody else stirs.

"We didn't even know you entered," Molly raised an eyebrow.

"Well, I-"

"We would've thought it would be nice to at least _mention_ it to us." James scowled. "It's not like we're your flesh and blood or anything."

"I didn't think it mattered! You lot aren't even old enough to enter-" Roxanne exclaimed.

"I am," James replied quickly. "And Aunt Fleur was edging on Dominique to enter for weeks, we all wanted her to have the title."

"James!" Rose scolded.

"Well, it's true, isn't it?"

Roxanne swallowed. "As opposed to me, that's what you're saying."

James looked down at the ground, his jaw clenched.

She looked around at her "flesh and blood" and saw only people who don't resemble her in the slightest. She saw five Weasley-Potters with freckles sprinkled across their noses and light hair and she realizes, she and Fred were always different from them.

"Well, lovely," Roxanne muttered cooly. "Glad I have all of your support."

She made her way up the dormitories, smiling tightly at the people who patted her on the back encouragingly.

_Those should be them,_ a voice in the back of her head says. She pushes all thoughts of them aside, glad to find her dormitory empty so she could change in private.

Drawing the curtains around her, Roxanne rolled over in bed, a series of dazzling new pictures forming in her mind's eye...She had become Hogwarts champion...she was standing on the grounds, her arms raised in triumph in front of the whole school, all of whom were applauding and screaming...she had just won the Triwizard Tournament...her parents faces stood out particularly clearly in the blurred crowd, their faces glowing with admiration...

Roxanne grinned into her pillow, exceptionally glad that her cousins couldn't see what she could.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Roxanne is a tough cookie.  
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